Daily Scripture, November 12, 2026

Lectionary

Philemon 7-20
Luke 17:20-25

Reflection

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:20-21) Jesus’answer invites us to examine our own expectations: do we imagine the Kingdom of God chiefly as a place to find, or do we recognize it among us where God’s will is being lived?

We often try to understand spiritual realities through physical images. This can lead us to imagine the Kingdom of God, or Heaven, chiefly as a glorious place. We recall that “Elijah went up to Heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kings 2:11), that Jesus himself “was taken up to Heaven” (Luke 24:50), and that Mary was assumed into Heaven. Jesus also tells us, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2)  Our imaginations fill with mansions, banquets, thrones, walls of jasper, foundations of precious stones, streets of pure gold, and gates made of single pearls (Revelation 21:22). Yet faith, and Jesus’ own teachings invite us to look beyond the physical dimensions we can perceive. His words to Pilate challenge a merely worldly understanding of his kingdom:

“my kingdom does not belong to this world.”

-John 18:36

Jesus refers to the “Kingdom of God” or the “Kingdom of Heaven” frequently in his teachings.  Most often he uses the term to refer to situations or circumstances where the will of his Father is being honored and carried out. That certainly is the case with his own death and resurrection. But it is also the case wherever genuine love is shared, hearts are transformed, sacrifices are made, good relationships are built, life is respected, and the message of the gospel is carried out.  Jesus is clear that the kingdom exists in the hearts of those who accept God’s will, manifested through righteousness, justice, and moral transformation. 

Entry into the kingdom requires repentance, humility, and childlike trust, highlighting the need for a heart-change rather than mere religious observance. The key difference, then, between the state of earthly existence and the state of heavenly existence is not a physical one.  Rather it is the difference in the adherence to the will of the Father which is only sometimes reflected in the lives we live but followed without exception in the Kingdom of God/Heaven. 

Jesus gives us a new commandment to show us the way to the Heavenly Kingdom,

“…love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also love one another.”

-John: 13:34

In this context, we can clearly understand that as long as Jesus is with us and we are fostering the will of God, Jesus can correctly state that “the Kingdom of God is among you.”  Jesus himself, by his life, death and resurrection is the perfect example of fulfillment of the will of the Father.  He invites each of us to do the best that we can to follow in his footsteps.  We will not perceive the fullest state of the “Kingdom of God/Heaven” until we get there.  In the meantime, we must use our imaginations, even with their limitations to try to perceive what a true and eternal presence with our creator might be like. Jesus teaches us that it will be a state of perfect love and perfect union.  Realistically, in this life that is totally unimaginable.  Let us pray for the faith to believe what we yet cannot imagine.